> ... there is a reason for the POW sacrifice. Your chance of casting
> the spell is very high. I.e. you are sure that it will work. It's not
> like well maybe it will, but what if not? You are sure it will and
> so you must pay therefore.
'Cos any character who's heading for the priesthood is either going to hoard his rune magic points until he hits the magic Ten, or else he's getting too many POW gain rolls for my comfort...
The great thing about making "One-Use" Rune Magic reusable is that it doesn't unbalance the game at all. All you're saying is that in one session a desparate PC might cast all his magic in one go -- but he could *always* have done that. The actual amount of rune magic in circulation does not increase. And (since almost everyone uses rune magic) the PCs' enemies benefit just as much.
Casting a rune spell is no longer the life-or-death, "one shot -- but what if I waste it?" decision it used to be, and (as both player and gamemaster) I welcome this. Especially as a gamemaster, to be honest: deciding whether your NPCs will cast a one-shot, once-in-a-lifetime special ability at the PC party is tricky at the best of times.
If everyone uses more rune magic, Glorantha becomes more magical, the gap between initiates and priests narrows somewhat (though priests and lords are still streets ahead for power and flexibility), and players are more likely to fire off speculative and colourful cult specials during play. Suits me, anyway.
> Does anybody know the "real" (I know that there is no ultimate Truth
> but I ask anyway) story of what happened to the Telmori and if they
> were cursed or blessed ?
The Telmori in the First Age had a powerful kingdom in southern Fronela and northern Ralios, straddling the Nidan Mountains. They allied with Nysalor, the God of the Bright Empire, and fought against Nysalor's enemies in Ralios, led by a despicable traitor whose enemies called him Gbaji the Deceiver. (Gbaji's followers called their leader "Arkat").
When Gbaji's armies came close to destroying them, Nysalor revealed new sources of power that the Telmori could use to augment their magics. But Gbaji twisted this gift: now the cursed Telmori must transform into their wolf-form once a week, on Wildday.
Gbaji shattered the Telmori in Ralios, and his ally Talor the Laughing Warrior drove them out of Fronela. This was the start of the great Telmori migrations which eventually led the Sartarite Telmori to their current homes on the edge of the Wastelands.
> In which direction does Magasta's Pool spin and why ?
Looking down from above, it spins widdershins, counter-clockwise. The warm Sshorg current from the south-eastern edge of Glorantha passes it on the east (as it goes to warm Fethlon, Teshnos and Kralorela), while the cold Banthe current from the north-west passes on the western side (eventually bringing a temperate climate to Umathela).
Oh: a different "why"? -- because the left-hand turn is magical.
Another one? -- because that's the direction that water usually (insert "spins" or "doesn't spin" to suit taste) in Glorantha.
Powered by hypermail